Federal appeals court rules against fired FAU associate dean

A former Florida Atlantic University associate dean fired over an embarrassing freedom of expression incident at the Boca Raton campus — which made national news and had the religious alt right in a frenzy — has lost her appeal of the dismissal of her lawsuit against the university.

The decision is expected to close the book on a controversy that FAU could have done without.

Rozalia Williams, a black woman close to retirement when she was canned, claimed racial, age and gender discrimination in her April 2013 firing after she suspended a student who wouldn't stomp on a piece of paper with the word Jesus on it as part of a classroom exercise.

Then-student Ryan Rotela refused to complete the multicultural studies exercise on religious grounds, and Williams suspended him from classes after he allegedly threatened his professor during a heated argument over the assignment.

“[Williams] was very firm and defiant in her belief she was discriminated against,” said Brown’s attorney, Christopher Whitelock. “But it was always clear she made a mistake suspending the kid without checking with her superiors. This caused the school a lot of adverse publicity. Either she panicked or simply didn’t know what she was doing, but her decision caused the school to become a media circus for a year.”

Neither Williams, who is now on the hook for nearly $15,000 in court costs, nor her lawyer returned calls for comment.

Said Whitelock: “It took five years, but this should end the controversy once and for all.”